Egg-turning device for incubators



m; is, ma WWW R. G. MILLER EGG TURNI NG DEVICE FOR INCUBATORS Original Filed Aug. 28, 1922 Patented Feb. 15, 1927'.

. enrrso stares ROY G. MILLER, OF ROCKFORD,ILI INOIS, ASSIGNOR TO J. W. MILLER COMPANY, OF ROCKFORD, II LINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

EGG-TURNING DEVICE FOR INCUBATORS.

eontinuation of application Serial No. 584,704, filed August 28, 1922. This application filed February 28,

Y 1925'. Serial N0, 12,528. b

i This application is a continuation of application Serial Number 584,704, filed August 28, 1922. 4

This invention relating in general to in device which may be .uscd in an incubator of one or more egg compartments, but especially adapted for mammoth lncubators. I

have aimed to provide a simple and prac-- tical construction, which may be econommal ly' produced, has a comparatively large egg capacity, and will function in such manner as to" insure a relatively large hatch. p

One of the features of my invention resides in the ,mounting andconstruction of the egg-supporting tray with the VieW' to supporting the eggs in a most advantageous manner and to permit the desired turning of the eggs. I have also aimed to so mount the egg tray that it may be positioned in he egg compartment either in or out of operative relation to the means whiclris operated by the attendant for turning the eggs.

Another feature of my invention, is the provision of a novel--egg-turning device, the

advantages of which. will be betterunderstood by those skilled in this art by refer ring to the following description and drawings, 1n wh1ch 5 Figure 1 is a horizontal sectional view through an incubator embodying my -1I1- vention; I

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section through the incubator taken substantially 6 on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section through the tray taken substantially on the line 33 of T? p 11g. 7

Fig. ft is an enlarged View showing the action of the egg-turning device-3 and Fig. 5 is a view in elevation of the handoperable means for turning the lily nnprovements as mentioned above,

are applicable lIOiClillCl" a sing-leer a multia compartment incubator, and ill the present example. I have illustrated them in con nection with a mammoth incubator, three egg compartments 6, 7 and 8 of which are shown. Inasmuch as the construction ot the parts in each egg compartment is identical,

a description of one will sullice. It will be observed, however, that in the present instance the egg con'i'partments are positioned side by side and each is accessible through a door 9 at its front. .Thc several egg coinpartinents may be heated by radiation from pipes 11 through a heated medium which is circulated; and the temperature maybe controlled by any suitable or preferred 3 65.

means.

Reierrmg more partlcularly to the egg compartment 6, it will be observed th at there is positioned therein, in superimposed relation, a moisture pan 12, a nursery tray 13, and an egg-supporting tray designated generally by 14. My invention is particularly concerned with the construction of the eggsupporting tray and of means in conjunction therewith for turning the eggs. As is Well known in this art, it is desired to turn the eggs regularly at certain intervals through a certain period of the incubation, and after, say the 18th day, the eggs are left to hatch. During the early stages of incubation, especially up to the 5th day, it is under certain temperature conditions desired that the eggs be supported in a particularposition, that is, with the larger end up, in order that the germ will attach to the shell at the proper location near theair cell end of the egg and insure incubation and hatching. I

hare in the presentinstance so designed the] egg-supporting tray as to insure a most favorable result and .to enable turning the eggs in a simple and practical manner. I have further provided'ior shifting-the position of the cgg-supporting tray out of operative relation to the eg -turning means. This position is especially iavorable for the hatching period after the 18th day, and permits the chicks to drop down through the egg tray to the nursery, tray in a most effective manner.

In furtheranceof the foregoing,'I have provided an egg-supporting tray constructed preferably as follows. The tray comprises a rectangular frame 15 having transverse tom issupported. The frame 15 and-bars 16'are at present of wood, the bars being covered, except at the ends, by sheet metal casings 17. The sectional egg-supporting bottom consistsot an intermediate shiftable bars 16 upon which a sectional perforate botsection 18 andend sections or gates 19 and 21. Said bottom sections may be of any suitable or preferred construction, and each is preferably formed, as shown, of a woven wire body, the marginal edges of which are bound by sheet metal strips. shown in Fig. 3, the relatively narrow end sections' or gates are supported onthc end portions of the cross-bars l6 and the intermediate section is supported on the metal covered intermediate portion of said cross-bars. It will be observed that said sections extend from the front to the back of the egg tray in its position shown in Fig. 1, and that the intermediate section 18 is of less width than the tray, thereby permitting sidewise movement of said intermediate section, so that its ends will be carried back and forth over the end sections 19 and 21. This back and forth movement of the intermediate bottom section is preferably from side to side of the egg compartment 6, or in other words, in the longitudinal plane of the-aligned egg compartments 6, 7 and 8, in order that the shiftable bottom sections in. the respective egg compartments may be moved by a single member, such for example as a rod 22 extending through said compartments just below the egg trays. The shiftable section 18 carries a depending pin 23 normally disposed between the arms of a forked member 2% fixed to the rod 22. When this rod is moved back and forth by any suitable means, such as a hand lever 30, operable from one end of the incubator, the egg-supporting section 18 in each of the egg compartments will be correspondingly moved forthe purpose of turning the eggs. In this regard, it will be noted that the eggs are positioned on end in the bottom of the egg tray between spacers 25, which extend from the front to the rear of the egg tray. 'lhese spacers, secured in spaced relation by end bars 26 which seat on the front and rear members of the tray frame, constitute agrid-like structure, re-

movable at will from the tray frame, and

' adaptedwhen in position thereon, 'to space the eggs in a particularlyadvantageous man ner. That is, the eggs are positioned on the tray bottom on end between the spacers 25, as shown in Fig. 4t, and in side by side abutting relation, thereby-allowing a large egg capacity. When the bottom section 18 is shifted to the left from the position shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the eggs will be partially turned approximately 45 degrees or more, as

indicated in dotted lines in Fi 4. This turning of the eggs is sufficient, and by reason of the spacers onseparators 25, the eggs are maintained in an upright position with the lar er ends uppermost, which is very desirab e during the early stages of incubation. This method of sustaining the eggs in an upright'position is not however, es-

sential to my invention; and fewer spacers or egg baffles 25 might be employed so that the eggs will rest on the tray bottom with the major axes horizontally disposed instead of vertically.

I Y I d hen starting a hatch, the egg trays 1n the respective compartments will be positioned as shown in Fig.- 1, with the depmldmg member 23 in operative engagementwith the member 24 on the shiftable member The eggs will be placed on the trays in the manner described and will be turned periodically by operation of the lever 30'ais,

is well understood in this art. 18th day or thereabout, the grille or e g spacers may be removed from each tray. 1 t this time the egg trays will be removed from their respective compartments, turned 90 degrees and replaced in the egg compartment, thus positioning either one or the other of the end gates 19 and 21 at the front of the compartmenh This front end gate will be removed to provide a hatch opening 7 down through which the chicks may drop to the nursery tray, it being understood that the bottom section 18 will be moved to its rearmost position, so as not th overlie the opening afforded by removal? of the end gate. In this position the depending pin 23 is out of engagement with the member 24 as indicated by the dotted line po' ition of said pin shown in the middle, co ipartrnent of After the i Fig. 1. This is due to the ofi-center location 1 of the pin 23 on the tray which places the pin in operative relation to; the shifting.

means when the tray is in one position and n inoperative relation thereto when in another position. It follows that by changing the position of any of the egg trays, they may be connected to or disconnected from the operating means for turning the eggs. In either position, the egg trayi is in the same horizontal plane, and. conseq uently the same distance from the heat radiating pipes. It is believed that the foregoing conveys a clear understanding of the objects premeans whereby said egg-turning means will.

be brought into and out of operative relation to said operating means by removal of the egg tray from the compartment, turning it 90 degrees, and rte-positioning it in the compartment.

In an 1ncubat0'r,'the combination with an egg compartment having a doorway I through its front, of an egg tray adapted to be supported in said compartment and to be removed therefrom through said doorway,

said tray having a sectional bottom conipris-.

ing a com; rratively narrow: section adjacent to one side and -a longer perforate section shiftable back and forth sidewise of the section at the front of the compartment and moved from its normal position to afford an opening down through which the chicks may drop.

3. In an incubator, thercombination with an egg compartment having a doorway through its front, of an egg tray adapted to besupported in said compartment and to be removed therefrom through said doorway, said tray having a sectional bottom comprising a comparatively narrow section adjacent to one side and a longer perfoate section shiftable back and forth sidewise of thedray, said tray also having egg spacers extending from the front to the back, means for moving said shiftable bottom section buck and forth for turning the. eggs, said tray adapted to be removed from the egg compartment and replaced with said narrow section at the front of the compartn'ient and moved from its normal position to afford an opening down through which the chicks may drop said means for moving the shift ablesection being out of operative relation thereto when thetray is in the position with the narrow bottom section at the front of the compartment.

nor G, MILLER. 

